posted 06-29-2011 08:09 PM
Last summer I discovered that Yuri Gagarin had visited the area of Manchester (UK) where I had grown up. Since then, I have been researching his five-day visit to Britain during July 1961 and have now put that research in a book that will be available next week.

The book is entitled "Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester" and subtitled "A Smile That Changed the World?" More about the book and an option to download one of the chapters from my blog.

posted 06-30-2011 11:32 AM
I read an earlier draft of this book, and found it a very interesting read. To have Gagarin - the only person to have orbited the Earth at that time - landing in early-1960s Northwest England seems to have had the kind of effect a UFO landing in a town square would have, it was that otherworldly and different from the norm. Gurbir interestingly explores the two very different cultures interacting at the height of the Cold War, and seems to have tracked down pretty much everyone who was there and still around for first-hand interviews. For English readers it's a must, for others it will be fascinating too.

FFrenchMember

Posts: 3093From: San DiegoRegistered: Feb 2002

posted 01-13-2012 11:49 AM
There is a glowing review of this book in the January issue of the BIS's "Spaceflight" magazine. I would imagine everyone here from the UK would find this an interesting read.